Frequently Asked Questions

Sunscreens work in two ways:

1. By absorbing most of the UV
2. By reflecting most of the UV away from your skin

Most reflective sunscreens contain a physical blocker such as Titanium Dioxide or Zinc Oxide which further increases their effectiveness.

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. The SPF is a laboratory derived ratio which measures the increased amount of radiation which causes redness in skin when the sunscreen tested is applied, compared to when it is not used at all. For example if it takes 10 minutes for unprotected skin to show redness, then an SPF15 sunscreen correctly applied, will take 15 times as long or 150 minutes to burn.

In reality, it is rare for a person to achieve this exact level of protection as factors like how much you apply, the weather and even your skin type will affect your level of protection. In fact, many Australians apply too little sunscreen. This results in sunscreen users achieving an SPF of between 50-80% less than that specified on the product label.

SPF30+ allows transmission of 3.4% of UV radiation. SPF30+ sunscreen does not mean you can stay out of the sun for longer periods of time and you should also use sunscreen in conjunction with other sun protection measures - hats, sunglasses, clothing, shade.

A sunscreen labelled Broad Spectrum offers protection from both UVA and UVB rays. All Cancer Council Australia sunscreens are broad spectrum.

Sunscreens should be applied on all exposed areas of skin 15 to 30 minutes before exposure to sunlight. It should be applied liberally and evenly to clean, dry skin. You should reapply more regularly if you are swimming, exercising or towel drying.

The Cancer Council Australia recommends that sunscreen be reapplied every two hours to ensure that ongoing protection occurs.

It is mainly the ultra violet rays, UVA and UVB which cause the damage. UVA rays penetrate deep into the skin, gradually destroying elasticity and causing premature ageing. UVB rays cause skin damage and can alter the structure of skin cells, and ultimately lead to possible skin cancer. UVC rays are the most dangerous but as they are blocked out by the ozone layer, they don't reach the earth's surface. A broad spectrum, SPF30+ sunscreen will help protect against UVA and UVB radiation.

The Cancer Council Australia recommends keeping babies and children out of the sun as much as possible. When this is not possible, ensure they stay in the shade as much as possible and wear protective clothing and a hat. Broad spectrum, SPF30+ sunscreen may be applied to small areas of skin that cannot be protected by clothing (such as face, ears and backs of hands).

Yes you can, as a significant amount of UV can pass through clouds.

The Cancer Council Australia recommends people avoid excessive exposure to the sun. Sunscreen should never be the first line of defence against sun damage. It is important to wear a broad brimmed hat, protective clothing, sunglasses and make use of shade where possible. Never use sunscreen to extend the time you would normally spend in the sun.

Yes, all Cancer Council Sunscreens are UVA/UVB broad spectrum and SPF 30+ to provide maximum sunscreen protection.

These are the organic (eg OMC – Octyl Methoxycinnamate ) and non organic (eg zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) ingredients use to absorb and/or reflect the harmful UVA and UVB rays generated by the sun.

Some are better at absorbing UVA (eg Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane/‘Parsol’ , zinc oxide), some are better at absorbing UVB (eg Octyl Methoxycinnamate, Titanium Dioxide) and some do both (eg Tinasorb).

Most sunscreens use mixtures of UVA and UVB absorbers to optimise their sun protection properties.

These are chemicals that are necessary to preserve the integrity of the sunscreen cream/lotion.

Besides the active ingredients, sunscreens contain moisturisers, water, oils, emulsifiers and various other chemicals which help to maintain the cream emulsion and make the sunscreen pleasant and easy to apply. Without preservatives the sunscreen cream/lotion would support the growth of bacteria which could ‘spoil’ the cream/lotion and/or cause skin infections if they were to contaminate the sunscreen.

There are many sunscreen chemicals available that filter and/or reflect harmful UVA and UVB light generated by the sun.

Some chemicals and ingredients absorb harmful rays, some reflect them and some do both. Most sunscreens contain a blend of such chemicals to optimise the SPF 30+ rating. However, other characteristics such as water resistancy, ease of application, non oily/greasy, non irritating, non whitening, etc that are desired by customer, require special formulations which will impact on the type of ingredients, the sunscreen actives and the preservatives used.

For an adult, the recommended application is 5ml (approximately 1 teaspoon full) for each arm, leg, body front, body back and face (including neck and ears). That equates to a total of 35ml (approximately 7 teaspoons full) for a full body application.

For a child the recommended full body application is about half that used for an adult (this will vary depending on the size of the child) and is around 18mls or approximately half a teaspoon full for each of the body parts listed above.

Sunscreen should always be reapplied at least every 2 hours.

There are many variables that can impact on the effectiveness of sunscreen once it has been applied. Physical activities such as surfing, swimming, out-door sports, perspiring, towelling or wiping the body, etc will result in diluting and/or removing, to a varying degree, sunscreen from the skin. Because sunscreen manufacturers cannot predict the circumstances under which sunscreens will be used, most, if not all, will recommend that sunscreen be applied every 2 hours irrespective of the water resistance rating of the sunscreen.

One of the most common consumer complaints is that of people being sunburnt even after applying sunscreen. When this happens, invariably the consumer suspects that there is something wrong with ‘that particular batch of sunscreen’ or that ‘there are insufficient active ingredients in the sunscreen’.

The manufacture of sunscreens is strictly regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Authority (TGA) of Australia , and part of this process is that all batches of sunscreen that are produced are thoroughly tested to ensure that the TGA approved formula is adhered to and that the quantity of approved active ingredients is present before they are released to the public.

In all cases that have been investigated, where a consumer has been sunburned after applying sunscreen, it has invariably been found to be due to applying insufficient sunscreen and/or not reapplying sunscreen often enough.

The labels of most sunscreen products include statements such as “reapply frequently” or “reapply generously after 2 hours exposure “. The Cancer Council of Australia sunscreen labels even go one step further. By stating in the DIRECTIONS, “1 teaspoon full per body part, per application, which equates to 35mls (or approximately 7 teaspoons full) for a full body application for an average sized adult” we are trying to better quantitated the minimum amount of sunscreen that should be used and to impress upon the consumer the importance of using sufficient sunscreen. That means that a normal 110ml tube of sunscreen is only sufficient for 3 full adult body applications!

In theory, this should mean that sunscreens will continue to provide adequate protection from sun burn if applied as directed. However, there are a number of well-known variables which could affect the ability of the sunscreen to protect users from sun burn. Among the variables that can cause the ‘dilution’ or removal of sunscreen on the skin are a variety of physical activities such as surfing, water skiing, swimming, towelling, wiping, perspiring, putting on and taking off of clothing, applying sunscreen to wet or sandy skin, etc. That is why it is imperative that sunscreens be RE-APPLIED at least EVERY 2 HOURS irrespective of the water resistance rating of the sunscreen.

Firstly, SPF testing protocols are, unfortunately, not universal. Therefore SPF ratings on UK/EU sunscreens cannot be compared directly with SPF ratings of Australian/NZ sunscreens. The SPF rating for Australian/NZ sunscreens is determined ‘post immersion’ using an Australian standard method which subjects the sunscreen to the SPF test after it is applied to the skin AND after immersion in turbulent water under controlled standard conditions.

On the other hand, UK/EU SPF test protocol is ‘pre immersion’, which means that the sunscreen is SPF tested, without the skin surface that has had the sunscreen applied to it, being immersed in turbulent water BEFORE the SPF test. In other words the Australian SPF test protocol is more robust than the UK/EU procedure and more relevant to Australian conditions.

Secondly, there is concern among Cancer Councils and other health promotion bodies in Australia/NZ that the raising of claimable SPF greater than the current 30+ numeral designation may give people a false sense of security and encourage much longer exposure to the sun, with the likelihood of further burning incidents and increased skin cancer risk. It is considered that an SPF factor of 30+ is more than enough protection against sunburn under normal conditions of exposure and time and that to increase the SPF numeral above 30 may do more harm than good. Therefore, TGA regulations do not permit SPF factor numerals greater than 30 to be claimed on sunscreen labels. Notwithstanding this, all broad spectrum SPF 30+ rated sunscreen formulations in Australia/NZ will have an SPF rating greater than 30 but the exact rating numeral cannot be claimed, hence the use of the designation 30+ which means that the sunscreen has an SPF factor greater than 30.

Health promotion bodies will continue to stress that the use of sunscreen is no substitute for other sensible and that sunscreens should always be used in conjunction with precautions including staying out of the sun during the hottest part of the day, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, and covering other exposed parts of the body when out in the sun.